As a 12-year CALI veteran, Chris Veety knows a thing or two about flooring and how to get new floors into people’s homes. So much so, that 2019 saw him included among Hardwood Floors Magazine’s ‘40 Under 40,’ honoring the industry’s next generation of movers and shakers. The recognition spotlights the future of the wood flooring world and how that world is evolving. 

As VP of Direct Sales, Chris oversees CALI’s residential, trade, and commercial business. He joined the team (along with his white lab sidekick, Beasley) as a sales rep when he was 27 years old, and over the next dozen years played an integral role in directing the path of the green building product manufacturer, from an exclusive direct-to-consumer model to one which serves a variety of channels including dealers, specialty retail stores, and Lowe’s Home Improvment. Maintaining a strong, supportive relationship with the end-user is key to balancing CALI’s different branches successfully, and Chris has been at the center of that effort.

Chris also drove the creation of CALI’s Trade and Commercial channels, which he launched through a grassroots effort, initially calling contractors and builders to introduce them to the company’s flooring and decking collections. The Trade arm alone is now a $30 million channel which brings significant repeat business.

As a key player in CALI’s early days when the company (referred to back then as Cali Bamboo) sold exclusively bamboo products, Chris was at the forefront of establishing the woody grass as a viable building material. The reason many wood flooring companies now cite Janka Hardness Test results is because CALI drew attention to the off-the-chart scores of its Fossilized® bamboo flooring. It was also during this time that Chris established relationships with key partners including the San Diego Padres, Sony, and other nationally-recognized brands based in Southern California. Getting major players to install bamboo flooring and decking convinced other customers to do the same.

As an avid baseball fan and father of a young player, Chris has coached Little League for the past six years. His son’s team competed in the All-Stars and secured three league championships. Chris also led after-hours CALI softball and kickball teams to victory, building camaraderie and winning the kickball league championship in the process. 

Congrats to Chris for this recognition in the industry!